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PS4 Media Remote - Complete Guide

PlayStation consoles have always done more than you would expect from a game system. Now with the PS3 and PS4, we can watch Blu-rays, Netflix, and more as well.

The DualShock 4 isn't exactly a TV/media remote, though. It's true, the DualShock 4 is more suited to gaming. A media remote is universal, it's something anyone can pick up and understand. Let's take a look at PDP's officially licensed solution to this little problem!

The Official PS4 Media Remote

A company known as PDP, or Performance Designed Products, has been tasked with manufacturing many of the first-party sanctioned products for the PS4. Anything with the iconic blue box like the controller dock for example, is made by PDP and officially licensed by Sony.

The remote is miles ahead of the competition in both design and performance. It looks a lot like the PS3 media remote, which is a very good thing (especially if you've seen some of the third party options on PS4 right now. Yikes!).

The PS4 Experts Hands-On Review

The Officially Licensed PS4 Media Remote came in the mail for me, and now that I've had some time to utilize it, it's time to find out if this Sony-approved third-party solution is the best option for those of you out there that are tired of wasting battery power on your DualShock 4 while watching a movie or TV show.

For starters, the packaging is very simple. It comes in the iconic blue box that all of the Sony-approved accessories come in. Like many of those others, the remote isn't made by Sony. Instead it was developed by PDP and given the seal of approval by the big guys and gals at PlayStation

Taking it out of the box, you get an instruction manual, and the remote. That's about it, no batteries included. It uses two AAA-batteries, which I was forced to steal from one of my other remotes. When it comes to accessories like a remote, I feel like it's common courtesy to provide batteries, especially if they're uncommon ones. AA's I can forgive because those are everywhere, but AAA's? Come on!

Pairing The PS4 Media Remote

Anyway, I popped in the batteries and went to work programming the remote for my PS4. You'll need to connect a controller and navigate to the Devices ---> Bluetooth Devices section of the settings menu.

Once you're there you press the PlayStation button on the remote to wake it up. From there, hold down the PlayStation button and the Share button on the remote until the red light in the top right corner of the remote starts to flash.

When that happens, hold the remote close to the PS4. I'm going to mention this more than once, but I'll start here: the instruction manual has multiple typos! The first one states that the PS4 will register the device as a "PDP Universal Media Remote." Not for me, instead I saw a remote icon and a blank name appear. When I selected it with the controller to sync the device, then it read as a remote, but not prior to that.

Once that's finished, the remote is paired.

Useful For Almost Everything!

You can now navigate the PS4 with the remote (no DualShock 4 required!) You can go through all the menus, utilize the share and options buttons, and turn the system off by navigating to the power menu (I couldn't get it to turn off with the power button on the remote).

To turn the system back on with the remote and not a controller, make sure you hit the "PS4" function button, then press the PlayStation button. You'll notice that the remote also has buttons for "TV," "Amp," "and CBL." Besides controlling your PS4, the remote can also be used to turn your TV on and off, and control a cable box or sound system.

I personally have a Samsung Smart TV, and a Samsung sound bar/sub woofer setup. It's alright, you can be jealous. Syncing the remote to my TV was really difficult for one very annoying reason: there are typos in the instruction manual! I was told that the auto-sync feature required the device to be on. No matter how many times I tried to do it, I couldn't get the remote to sync to the sound bar or the TV.

Turns out, the actual process involves turning the device OFF, and then following the instructions to sync the remote to it. This worked perfectly for my TV, but I wasn't able to get the sound bar synced. Not sure if it was user error, or if I need to manually enter the code, but I did find a cool workaround.

There are four colored "soft keys" on the remote that can be used to assign specific functions. By using the PS4 Media Remote in conjunction with another remote, you can program these colored buttons to do specific things on your devices. I used this process to make the red button bring up the smart hub on my TV. Since I couldn't get the sound bar to sync, I used the yellow and blue buttons to program the volume up and down function on the sound bar.

In the end, I was able to go from two remotes and a controller, to one remote and no controller. It took a little trial and error, but I'm happy with the setup because now I only have one remote to keep track of.

There is one other feature advertised in the manual, and PDP has already confirmed that there is yet another typo in the instruction manual that describes the "Volume Punch Through" as having the ability to program the remotes volume to control something besides your TV, despite the device being used.

This is wrong, the Punch Through feature only works for the TV itself. If you don't have a sound system, this feature will allow you to have the remote set to the PS4, while also being able to adjust the volume on your TV. You won't need to hit the TV button to change volume, hence the term "Punch Through."

I would have loved to use this feature, but with my sound bar. Unfortunately, despite what the manual says, that's not the case. All of the buttons work really well on the PS4 for Blu-Rays and Netflix. When using other devices, certain buttons won't work. In other words, the Share button will do squat when you're controlling your TV. Other, less obvious buttons, won't work either. This isn't really a surprise, it comes with the territory when using a universal remote, but it's worth mentioning.

Functionality With Video Apps

Beyond using blu-rays, media files, and Netflix, the remote does indeed work on apps like YouTube, Hulu, and Crackle, but with a catch. The buttons don't do what you would expect them to. This is less of an oversight on the remote's part, and more of an issue with the apps themselves. They would need to be updated to support this new remote before it would work properly.

Something like Netflix is used to working with remotes, but YouTube, Hulu, and Crackle are new to the console world. If you're buying this to use solely for those apps, you may want to reconsider, just a fair warning. I also tried playing games with it, but it won't let you launch a game. Instead it asks you connect a DualShock 4.

In terms of the remote itself, it's very lightweight. It doesn't feel cheap at all, but it's lighter than I expected. The remote itself is also very skinny, with extremely small buttons compared to my other remotes. This made it difficult to hit buttons during the programming process. There's also no lights on the buttons like many remotes, so jumping between PS4, TV, and your sound system could be difficult in the dark.

Taking all of this into account, let's break it down for a final verdict, shall we?

Should You Buy This Remote?

The reviews for this remote on Amazon are mixed right now, and I can see why. The typos in the instruction manual really hamper the user experience. The lack of batteries out of the box is also yet another obstacle between you and your remote. If they could have included batteries and proofread the manual, there would be far less frustration with the setup.

The options out there prior to the release of this PS4 Media Remote were atrocious. Some required you to take up a USB port, while others had bare minimum features. For those who wanted to just use a normal remote for their viewing experiences, the options were unacceptable.

Now, we have an officially licensed remote, finally! It's not perfect, the biggest problems come from an instructional manual riddled with typos, and a lack of batteries in the box.

Once it's working, the remote works as advertised. Your experience may vary when it comes to syncing a TV, cable box, or sound system to it. I found it to be fairly easy once I realized the manual had it backwards (it says the device should be on, then on again...).

Growing pains aside, once the remote is hooked up, it responds beautifully and lets you do just about anything you want on the PS4 involving blu-rays, media files, or Netflix. Anything beyond that, and you're going to run into issues (at least until an update hits the other apps, if it does at all).

If you follow the instructions as modified by myself in the above review, and you're not looking to do anything more than blu-rays and Netflix, you'll find that this is the solution you've been waiting for. You may have trouble getting it to control other devices, but for the PS4, it works like a charm.

At $29.99, it's not a bad price. You need to go in with the right expectations though. Don't expect the perfect device with an easy setup. Expect to hit a few speed bumps (and track down some batteries) before you're ready to collapse on the couch and watch a movie, sans the light bar from a DualShock 4.

Here's a final breakdown of the Pros and Cons:

PROS:

Easy setup

Great functionality with most apps and Blu-rays

Works with TVs, PS4, Sound Systems, and Amps

Reasonable price point

CONS:

Some app support is shaky (Crackle, Hulu)

Typos in the instruction manual

No backlight

No included batteries (AAA needed)

For more information (including a detailed breakdown of the features) continue reading!

Features and Functionality

For starters, this remote is not just for the PS4. It is a universal remote that can control up to four devices:

The PS4

Your Television

A set-top box

An audio receiver

All of these options are visible in the buttons displayed below:

On top of this, the remote also has control over the PS4's power. It even has control over the PlayStation, Options, and Share buttons. This means you have the full functionality of the PS4 at your fingertips without the need for a DualShock 4 at all. Imagine this: you can turn on your TV, sound system, and PS4 with one remote. Then, you can watch all of your content with that same remote, and turn all those devices off when you're finished.

Never once in that scenario do you turn on or drain the battery on your DualShock 4. That's incredible! Take a look at the PS4 specific buttons in the screenshot below:

Beyond playing your DVDs, Blu-rays, and streaming apps, the PS4 also supports a wide range of media files via the recently added "Media Player App."

Compatible File Types

The PS4 Media Remote can be used to control playback of various media files via this app, which include the following formats:

Video: MKV, AVI, MP4, MEPG-2 TS

Photo: JPEG, BMP, PNG

Music: MP3, AAC (M4A)

To access the app, just look for this icon on your PS4 menu:

As long as you have the latest PS4 firmware update (it won't let you sign on to PSN without it) then you should see this icon on your main menu. Using this, you can plug in an external flash drive and playback any video files in the formats above, and control them with your media remote.

Tips For Maximum Efficiency

If you're thinking about purchasing one of these awesome remotes, or you have one and you'd like to know how to best utilize it, here are some tips you may not know:

1. Soft Buttons as Inputs

The soft buttons can programmed to control any of your devices, not just your PS4. Following our guide above, you could use them to control your TVs HDMI inputs. Now switching between devices is even easier!

2. PlayStation Vue Features

If you're a Vue subscriber, the PS4 media remote has some hidden features for this app specifically. For starters, the colored buttons each offer a shortcut to areas of the app.

Yellow brings up the search function, blue goes to the "All Shows Menu," red allows you to add the show you're watching to "My Shows" and green takes you to the My Shows Menu.

3. Don't Bother With The DualShock

The PS4 media remote can do just about everything. You can even turn on your PS4 and turn it off. This means that, unless you're playing a game, you don't need to turn on a controller at all. Save the battery for when you need to save the universe, or destroy some fellow players online.

Available Now!

If you're itching to own in your copy of this PS4 media remote, they are currently Available at Amazon.

Tell us what you think about the remote in the comments below and let us know if you'll be picking one up too!

It is mind numbingly stupid that there isn't a media remote for the PS4, or that at the very least the PS3 remote won't work with it. What the hell is Sony thinking? It prevents the PS4 from being a legitimate media device (sorry guys, let me get my video game controller so we can watch Netflix...WTF?!). As of now, the PS3 makes the PS4 look like a steaming pile of crap, outside of straight up gaming. For this to be the case 1 year in is just sad.

Your comment is so true. I feel like an idiot for not having done my homework before buying this console. If I had known then that Sony had not created as good a remote control for the PS4 as the one they made for the PS3, I would have purchased an XBox One. At the very least, make the PS4 compatible with the PS3 remote control!

So sad but true. I bought my husband a PS4 a year ago and really all it has done is sit and collect dust while the PS3 remains hooked up. It's only been turned on once or twice since we've had it. At least they're finally making games for it now, only been waiting a year for that. Maybe in another year we'll have a media remote.

This is my seventh Playstation Console, I have always championed SONY over Microsoft. I dumped my XBOX and an XBOX360 six months after purchase because it sucked, odd graphic differences, giant controllers, games... Etc...
Get it... Ive loved sony like people love Apple..... Where is my remote you idiots? How about an IPhone app at the very least..... I'll bet you Dbags are holding out for First Quarter of 2015, Re releasing old games for a new system... Nice $$$$$... You have become everything i hated about XBOX.
Playstation, You can eat a bag of Richards!

Clearly the reason for not supporting the existing PS3 media remote is a cynical ploy to sell more controllers. This goes totally against the need to conserve natural resources. So we are all forced to throw perfectly good devices into landfill so that Sony can sell replacements which do exactly the same job. Shame on you Sony.

It's not just the remote,it's a proper camera it's being able to connect to your home network etc this may be my last playstation,as I am looking at Xbox,they have even got the new tomb raider Sony has started to suck!,,,

Actually this was announced at the last E3 in 2014. I've been in contact with them and they did confirm that it should be ready for the holiday season this year. Hopefully Sony addresses the power on issue that Logitech has run into with their Harmony remote which is also now compatible with the PS4. It's a little spendy for me ($99) but it is one of the premiere universal remotes available. Whereas PDP's is supposed to be a little more affordable.

The preorder is now on Amazon. I'd say "about damn time" but the estimated release date is October 31. The wait isn't over yet, but at least it's progress.
I'd share the link, but it's triggering the spam filter. Do a search for "PDP Universal Media Remote".

I preordered this remote. It's physically different than the PS3 remote, which was an amazing product. Whatev's I can get over the width change. I can also get past the change in the button locations. I can even get past the fact that you now have to press the PS4 button to turn the console on. What irks me is that this product won't change volume for the TV, or Stereo, while in PS4 mode. This is not a multimedia remote. I spend more time changing function mode of the remote than I do when switching between my three other remotes. This is a crap product that I wish I had not purchased. I'm amazed that Sony would let this thing pass quality control.

I bought the new remote as soon as it was available on Amazon and am so disappointed. It will not work in Hulu, the main app i use. I can do a couple things like go to the top menu or fast forward and reverse, but it doesn't allow me to exit a show and go to the previous menu. I will be returning it since I still have to use my controller to do that. The main reason I wanted it was because the controller sucks as a remote, but this did not solve it. My other universal remote does some things also, but I wanted one that would do everything. The x o square and triangle do not even work in hulu, which is totally lame since aren't they supposed to be mapped the same as the controller?

Hi i open a ticket in pdp support and this is the reply:
" We are very sorry you are experiencing issues with the volume punch feature of the remote. Your satisfaction is very important to the PDP team. We have processed a Return Authorization to replace your remote with a new remote and we will notify you when it has shipped. We will provide you with a prepaid FedEx shipping label via email that you can use to return your original remote into our office. The new remote will be best tested for the volume punch through from an amp and CBL before it is shipped. In the meantime, please continue to use the device keys to switch between devices to adjust the volume. Feel free to contact me via email for any questions you may have. "
I contact them by email about programmable green soft key too and this is the reply :
" The green soft key is another feature that will be available in the new remote you will receive.
Volume punch through from an amp
Volume punch through from a CBL
Green Soft Key programmability "
I think this new remote is a solution for all of this but i'll keep all update when i receive a new one.
Thx Gus.

Been using this for about a week here. It's a step up from other remotes, but there are still some rough edges...especially if you're used to using the official Sony PS3 remote.
It does a decent job playing blu-rays, but less so with some apps. For me, Hulu doesn't recognize the remote's PlayStation buttons (circle, triangle, etc.) while other apps like Netflix recognize those keys as expected. Also, for some reason I have to keep pressing the 'PS4' button to access PS4 features after the remote has been idle for a few minutes. This is contrary to how I'd expect it to behave...since it's primarily a PS4 remote, I'd expect it to always default to PS4 mode, at least when pressing PS4-specific buttons.

This remote is awful. It works just fine turning my TV off and on or adjusting the volume, but the PS4 keeps not responding to it, forcing me to delete it, re-sync, and run for a little while until the remote enters its "sleep" mode, then repeat. This thing is garbage. The last PS3 remote was absolutely perfect. I never had an issue with it (more importantly, my wife and kids never had an issue with it). Now that the living room entertainment center revolves around the PS4 instead of the PS3 (with perfect remote) which moved to the bedroom, my one (all that comes with the system) DS4 controler is mostly dead by the time I get home. Why does it need to illuminate the living room while my wife and two year old watch yo gaba gaba? It shouldn't. Sony licensed the responsibility to PDP. PDP failed to test and design a product comparable to Sony's last remote. It is time for Sony to push out a software update so that the PS3 remote is compatible (anyone have an issue with "start" = "options" and "select" = "share"? . . . No? Okay then, we're ready for the update) PDP can keep their status as the sole producer of the one and only official PS4 remote, but everyone can buy the PS3 remote and have one that actually works. Sony can make bank. I've read a lot of nasty reviews on this thing. A lot of people are very frustrated. The PS is a wonderful media center for the whole family. We cut the cord long ago and haven't looked back. For Sony to hold that status with the 4, they need a family friendly input device, and my 2 year old needs to keep her hands off the DS4 so Daddy can play games after she and mommy are asleep.

How in the name of Satan is this what got published? This is the most incomplete set of instructions I've ever seen. This guy starts with a reasonable explanation on how to pair it with your system, and then starts on a multi-paragraph side story about how difficult it was to program for his TV, how some of the buttons don't work correctly, and that he noticed typos. Never once does the writer actually explain how to PROGRAM THE DAMN REMOTE TO YOUR TV.

I'm very disappointed with the PS4 media control! It absolutely SUCKS!! It doesn't wake up the console like the one for PS3 does. Doesn't close applications and you have to be close up in order for the stupid thing to respond. The gaming part is awesome I love it on the PS4 but man how can you screw up a vital piece of the console?! Now I use PS3 strictly for media only.

Bought this remote over a month ago. Been working fine until I changed the batteries this am. It will turn the tv on/off but nothing else works! The batteries are fully charged and I've pushed every button on this pos remote and it does nothing. Yes, the batteries are in correctly. Even swapped out the batteries to ones I just fully charged and all it will do is turn he tv on and off. The dual shock only keeps a charge about half a day so I hate using it. I get no red light at the top of the remote like I usually do when pushing the round ps button to get to the main menu.
Any ideas?

Everything is one step behind to be okey by missing L1,L2, R1,R2. When you go to the websites you need those bottons. I wonder if the "Page" botton is work to go webpages left and right, I hope it dose. Anyway, I'm getting one sine the price is decent for a licensed universal remote and what it dose.